Timer dial



Sept. 27, 1960 H. 1.. BUSH 2,953,938

TIMER DIAL Filed Aug. 12, 1957 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR.

HAROLD L. Bush Sept. 27, 1960 H. L. BUSH 2,953,938

TIMER DIAL Filed Aug. 12, 1957 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 5! INVENTOR. I /A AOLDL. Bus/1' J 9- 6 fi 4y BY 9. M $6 6M United States Patent v" 2,953,938TIMER DIAL Harold L. Bush, Central Square, N.Y., assignor to Crouse-Hinds Company, Syracuse, N.Y., a corporation of New York 7 Filed Aug.12, 1957, Ser. No. 677,527

7 Claims. (Cl. 74-568) This invention relates to and has as an object anew and improved timer dial for use in connection with cycle timers ofthe type used for traffic signal controls as disclosed in Patent No.2,301,999, issued November 17, 1942, to C. H. Bissell.

Essentially, the timer dial consists of a cylindrical body having aplurality of circumferentially spaced axially extending slots formed onthe periphery of the body. The body is formed with an annular orcylindrical portion at one end, and an annular groove, or recess,concentric with the center of the body at the opposite end. A pressurering is supported in the annular groove and is urged outwardly thereofby a plurality of compression springs. A plurality of switch actuatingkeys having a hook at one end and a tongue at the other end are mountedin the axial peripheral slots on the body by latching the hook of thekey over the cylindrical end of the body, the tongue of the key beingreceived in the annular groove so that the tongue is supported andspring biased out-" wardly by the pressure ring and the compressionsprings to yieldably latch the hook of the key on the cylindrical end ofthe body. Each of said keys is formed with one or more switch actuatingears, so that when the dial is mounted on a shaft for rotation adjacenta plurality of switches, eachof said ears will actuate one of saidswitches once in each revolution of the dial. Consequently, the keys maybe readily removed and adjustably positioned on the dial in order togive a different timing function to the cycle timers.

Accordingly, it is an object of this invention to provide a timer dialof such construction that the switch actuating keys may be readily andconveniently removed from the dial for adjustable positioning on thedial and wherein the keys are held firmly on the dial, when the dial isbeing rotated, to actuate the switches.

The invention consists in the novel features and in the combinations andconstructions hereinafter set forth and claimed.

In describing this invention, reference is had to the accompanyingdrawings in which like characters designate corresponding parts in allthe views.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a front elevational view, with parts broken away, of one ofthe preferred forms of the timer dial.

Figure 2 is a section taken on line 2-2, of Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a side elevational view of another form of timer dial shownmounted on a cycle timer and wherein the cycle timer is shown partly insection.

Figure 4 is a front elevational view, shown partly broken away, of thetimer dial of Figure 3.

Figure 5 is a section taken on line 55, Figure 4.

Figure 6 is a plan view of the timer key used in connection with thetimer dial shown in Figures 3, 4 and 5.

A timer arrangement with which the dial structure of this invention maybe used is shown in Figure 3. A motor 10 is mounted on the rear side ofa supporting :frame plate '11 and is operatively connected to a shaft 12Patented Sept. 27, 1960 by gears 13, 14. The dial body, indicated at 15,is fixedly secured to the shaft 12, as by a set screw 16. The dial bodyis formed with a multiplicity of axially extending switch actuating keyslots 18 in which are mounted keys, such as 19, 20, Figure 3, formedwith projections 21, 22, respectively, which extend radially outwardlyfrom the dial body 15.

A series of switches having actuators 26, 27, 28, 29, are mounted on theface plate 11 below the dial structure, the arrangement being such thatthe ears of the keys engage and operate the switch actuators 2629. Inthe arrangement shown in Figure 3, vthe ear 21 of key '19 will engageand actuate the actuator 26. The ear 22 of key 20 will operate theactuator 29. The slots 18 are spaced circumferentially about the dialwhereby the keys may be positioned in various selected ones of the slotsand have ears, such as 21, 22, located at different positions throughoutthe length of the keys to effect operation of selected ones of theswitches in a desired sequence.

Referring to Figures 1 and 2, the dial consists of a circular body orback member 30 having a hub portion 31 extending inwardly and a hubportion 32 extending outwardly, this elongated hub being apertured toreceive the motor driven shaft 12 to which it is afiixed by the setscrew 16. The inner end portion 34 of the body has an open end wall ofcylindrical formation to provide an annular end edge or circular rib 35.The opposite end of the main body casting is formed with an annulargroove or recess 36, in the bottom wall of which there are a pluralityof sockets 38 in which are mounted compression springs 39 acting to urgea washer or circular ring member 40 outwardly. The outward limit of thewasher 40 is determined by a circular outer or front body member 42formed with a central aperture to receive the outer hub portion 32, andis also formed with a pair of radially extending slots to receiveprojections 46 extending radially from the hub 32. These projections areswedged downwardly and outwardly to provide cars 49 overlying the washer42 and fixedly securing it to the shoulder 37 formed by the recess 38and the hub 32 on the body 30.

The keys are formed from sheet metal and consist of an elongatedintermediate portion 50 formed at one end with a hook portion 51 forhooking over the end 35 of 'the cylindrical body portion 34. The keys attheir opposite ends are formed with tongue portions 55 extendinginwardly toward the hook portions 51 and in spaced relation to theintermediate portions 50. These tongues 55 are inserted in the annularrecess 36 against the washer 40, and the key is then moved axiallyinwardly of the body, compressing the springs 39 until the hook portion51 can be hooked over the inner end 35 of the dial body. The key is thenmoved into the selected slot in parallel relation to the shaft 12 andpermitted to be moved axially outwardly by the springs 39. In thismanner, it will be seen that the keys are detachably retained in theslots 18 and are readily removable therefrom by reversing theoperationthat is, first moving the key inwardly against the action ofthe springs 39 so that the hookportion 51 can be detached, or unhooked,from the inner end of the body whereupon the key is removed by moving itaxially outwardly from the dial body.

In the arrangement shown in Figures 3, 4 and 5, the body is also oftwo-piece construction wherein the back member or rear portion 30 isattached to an outer or front member 60, as by rivets 61, the outermember 60 being provided with the hub portion mounted upon the shaft 12and being formed with the annular recess 36 and the key receiving slots"18. In this arrangement, ac-

cess to the washer 40 by the tongue portions 55 of the keys is hadthrough slots 64.

It will be apparent that while the keys can be conveniently inserted andremoved from the slots 18, they are nevertheless securely held in theslots because of the hook end portions 51 and the tongue portions 55engaging the dial body, whereby the keys are not displaced duringoperation of the timer.

What I claim is:

1. A timer dial comprising front and back cylindrical members, aplurality of removable switch actuating keys carried in axial peripheralslots formed on one of said members, said members being fixed togetherfor rotation, means mounted between said front and back members foryieldably urging a plurality of keys forward in said axial peripheralslots, said back member being formed with an open end wall, said openend wall being co-operable with said means for releasably locking saidkeys on said dial, and said keys being formed with switch actuatingears.

2. The invention of claim 1, wherein said means includes an annulargroove formed in said back member, a plurality of circumferentiallyspaced axially extending recesses in said back member communicating withsaid groove, a plurality of springs mounted in said recesses, a pressurering mounted in said groove and acted on by said springs, said frontmember acting to retain said pressure ring in said groove, each of saidkeys being formed at its outer end with a tongue impinging upon saidpressure ring and a hook at its inner end, said hook being latched overthe open end wall of said back member.

3. The invention of claim 2, wherein said axial peripheral slots areformed on said front member.

4. The invention of claim 2, wherein said axial peripheral slots areformed on said back member.

5. A timer dial comprising a cylindrical body formed on its peripherywith a plurality of axially extending circumferentially spaced apartslots, one end of said body being formed with a circular rib adjacentthe periphery thereof; a circular member mounted at the opposite end ofthe body, means yieldingly urging said circular member axially outwardlyfrom the body, switch actuating keys mounted in selected ones of saidslots, each of said keys being formed at one end with a hook portioninterlocking with said rib, and at its opposite end with a portionengaged by said circular member.

6. A timer dial comprising front and back members, said back memberbeing formed with a central hub and a cylindrical open end Wallterminating in an annular rib, an annular groove positioned in spacedconcentric relation to said hub forming a shoulder intermediate saidgroove and hub, a pair of upstanding ears formed on said shoulder, aring member positioned in said groove and means yieldingly urging saidring outwardly in said groove, said front member having an aperture anda pair of slots in registry with the hub and ears on said back member,said front'member being afiixed to said back member by said ears, aplurality of axial slots formed on the periphery of said back member anda plurality of switch actuating keys received in said slots, said keyshaving a hook portion engaging said rib and a tongue portion engagingsaid ring member.

7. A timer dial for operating electrical switches comprising a circularbody having a cylindrical rib at one end, a ring member positioned atthe opposite end of the body, means yieldingly urging said ring memberaxially outward from the body, the peripheral surface of said body beingformed with a multiplicity of axially extending key receiving slots,switch actuating keys positioned in selected ones of said slots, each ofsaid keys being formed with a body portion adapted to be positioned insaid slots, a hook portion at one end of said body for hooking over saidcylindrical rib on the dial body, and each of said keys being formed atits opposite end with a tongue portion engaged by said ring member,whereby the hook portion of each of said keys is maintained indetachable hooked engagement with said dial body.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS2,045,251 Raber June 23, 1936 2,194,311 Leonard Mar. 19, 1940 2,644,047Leonard June 30, 1953 2,725,433 Reid et al. Nov. 29, 1955 2,839,948 PaulJune 14, 1958

